Pubdate: Tue, 13 Aug 2002 Source: Deseret News (UT) Copyright: 2002 Deseret News Publishing Corp. Contact: http://www.desnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/124 ADD DRUG THUGS TO TERRORIST ROLLS One difference between the United States and Colombia is this: When the U.S. president talks of a "bunker mentality," "getting targeted by an opponent" or "being under siege," he's speaking metaphorically. In Colombia, the president is talking about the bullets whizzing by his head. Criticism in Colombia often takes the form of cannon shells. And the splash of violence that accompanied the recent presidential inauguration of Alvaro Uribe in Colombia promises to be the first firefight in a gruelling campaign. Uribe has sworn to stamp out the right-wing death squads, the left-wing rebels, then battle the country's drug lords. It's an aggressive agenda that even Douglas MacArthur would admire. Now President Uribe is asking the United States to stock his war chest with more bombs and bucks. He wants American firepower to back his battle against the thugs. America should let Uribe have it, so he can let them have it. Uribe isn't the ideal ally, of course. He hasn't formulated much of an economic or social plan for his nation. In fact, he has a history of advancing programs that eventually backfire. Some say he has even dragged his feet on drug issues. Still, the man has shown an impressive amount of backbone. And in world politics, resolution and opportunity are key. Uribe has the resolution; the United States has now been given an open an opportunity to assist him in his housecleaning. It's an invitation the country cannot afford to turn down. In a meeting with the Deseret News editorial board, Sen. Robert Bennett recently said that concerns about narcotics may be secondary at the moment, but fighting "narco-terrorism" is a legitimate extension of the nation's war on terrorism. After all, who does more to poison Americans - the anthrax guerillas or the cocaine kingpins? In military parlance, the only difference between the two is the "delivery system." Those who say the United States should make a stand against drugs in its own streets are absolutely right, of course. If dependence on drugs declines here, so will Colombia's dependence on the drug trade. Like any foreign venture, this one must be accompanied by a strong effort at home. But politics is the art of the possible. And turning up the heat on narco-terrorism is now a definite possibility. Besides, as long as America is stalking scoundrels who want to undermine the nation, putting the mugs of Colombia's cartel members on the same wanted poster as Osama makes perfect sense. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom